Friday, January 30, 2015

A Note on Negativity

(Photo from Tumblr)

Negativity is inevitable. Whether it's the current situation, or just the vibes of those that surround you, you will be exposed to people that will put you down. Not all times is it intentional, in fact, most cases are entirely accidental. Though in times of stress, it doesn't take much to tip you off and send you into a downward spiral. At the end of the day, it's important to remind yourself that you'll be okay. Keep your chin up. They're wrong. Everything will turn out alright, I promise.

xx Kendall


In the words of Wesley Thomas, the creator of the beautiful vine below, "Not to spoil the ending for you, but everything is going to be okay."


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

The January Book Pick

(Photo from instagram)

This year for Christmas, I was gifted the Brilliant Books subscription in which a new book is sent to me every month, completely tailored to my likes. I received a card where I specified my favorite authors, books, genres, and just some general things about myself.

For my first book, I received All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.  I remember seeing ARCs of this one and just becoming so excited for this release. Imagine my surprise when it showed up on my doorstep. 

As we speak, I'm about a quarter of the way through this one and absolutely loving it. So far it reminds me of a quirkier version of TFIOS, or a (better) less stereotypical version of Eleanor and Park. I'll be sure to let you all know what I think when I finish.

xx Kendall 

Monday, January 26, 2015

My 2015 Goals (so far)

(Photo from instagram)

I'm not going to lie, this post title has been in my drafts since before the new year. Honestly, I don't really think I'm all that qualified to have true resolutions, and besides, that adds a whole lot of pressure to daily life. Most resolutions get dropped anyways. 

So instead, I've decided to make a quick list of all of the small, but general goals that I have for the year, no strings attached.

1. Work on my blog more, (better format, better comment system, better branding)

2. Actually pay attention to emails (blogging things I suck at to come soon)

3. Read more. (and I read quite a bit)

4. Stop worrying about numbers so much. (take that as you will)

5. Get a job. (I'll be 15 this May)

6. Go to more concerts. (I'm seeing Magic Man in March)

7. Streamline my wardrobe. (I started this today as I write this)

8. Take more photos (my camera is calling)

9. Stop Procrastinating (pshh. I don't procrastinate)

10. Step out of my comfort zone (I'm pretty sheltered)

Feel free to let me know what your resolutions are this year!

xx Kendall

Monday, January 19, 2015

The haitus

Hi guys,

I apologize, but I will be gone until next week.

We've hit exam time and I'm unable to write up posts at the moment. However, I do have plans for a super cool interview soon, so get excited.

I shall return soon!

Xx Kendall

Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Playlist - Instant Happy Pill



For anyone who needs a pick me up!

xx
Kendall

Friday, January 9, 2015

This Just In: January




Hey Guys,

So since the holidays are now over, I thought  I'd take a moment to show you the few books I've recieved/picked up over the last few weeks.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Never Fade - Alexandra Bracken
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson

xx

Monday, January 5, 2015

December Wrap Up

(Photo Credit: ohhreader - Tumblr)

December was an interesting month. I apologize that this is going up late, however, as I write this, it's January 1st, so I'm not all that behind.

This month I read a total  of eight books. I would've liked to do better than that, but I'm currently in a reading slump and I needed to start preparing for exams.  But I suppose I should go through what I did read. 

To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
3.5 Stars

Personally, I just didn't get this book. I had to read it for my English class, and while I never really found myself bored, I often felt that there wasn't much plot to the story. I'll eventually try to reread it to see if my opinion changes.


The Selection
Kiera Cass
3 Stars

While I did enjoy the story, there was nothing special about it. I didn't really relate to the characters and the plot was just kind of...eh. However, it was a quick read and didn't necessarily disappoint me.


Amulet Book 1: The Stone Keeper
Kazu Kibuishi 
4 Stars

This was one of my first dips into the graphic novel world, and must I say, I really enjoyed it. The story wasn't fantastic, but it was fast paced and I did really love the artwork in the book. I'd love to continue with the story and read more graphic novels.


Earthling
Mark Fearing
3 Stars

This one was just alright. While I did enjoy the cute story, the art was just alright, and it was a bit longer than it needed to be.


Dark Inside 
Jeyn Roberts
3.5 Stars

This one was good. I'll give it that. However, there were six different perspectives, and with each there was a whole different cast of characters. I found myself confused frequently, and I just don't know what they were all needed for.


The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
3.5 Stars

This was a really cute story about a gorilla. I mostly read it for the cramathon challenge, and found it a good fit. It was incredibly fast, and simple to grasp, but I wasn't blown away.


Looking for Alaska
John Green
4 Stars

While both my best friend and my mother despised this book, I actually really liked it. It was interesting and heart breaking and really kept my attention well. Definitely a fan of this one, though it definitely doesn't top TFIOS


Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
Edited by Kazu Kibuishi
3.5 Stars

This one was a hit and a miss. With so many artists working on it, it was bound to happen that I'd enjoy some of the artists more than others, and that was definitely the case. I just found some of the stories fell flat.

xx Kendall




Saturday, January 3, 2015

2015 Blog Survey

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Thanks so much for filling this out for me. It means the world.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year + Some Changes

2015
(GIF Credit: We Heart It)

So another year has passed. 

While I'm sad to see 2014 go, I'm excited to see what 2015 will bring. I have some goals for the year that will be up soon, but I don't want to touch on them yet. However, there will be a few changes made to my blog that I hope you'll all understand.

First off, I will be posting every other day. While I love the concept of having new content up for you all to read on a daily basis, it's just too much work for one person who's currently dealing with high school. I think every other day will work much better than my previous schedules.

I will be working on the format of my blog quite a bit and will even think about purchasing a custom template later on in the year. While I absolutely love the way my blog looks, it lacks some necessary functions.

I also will hope to become much more involved this year. I'd love to collaborate a lot more with other bloggers as well as get to know my followers a lot better. I've been blogging for 8 months now, and I'm hoping to really allow myself to become more comfortable with my online presence. 

I will be posting a reader survey on Saturday that I'm hoping you'll take the time to check out so that I can hear from you all. 

Thanks!

xx Kendall

 

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